Twenty take-aways from fifteen years.

Twenty take-aways from fifteen years as a branding consultant.
Looking back. And looking ahead.

01

Ask until you truly understand.
Understanding is the root of true power.

02

Don’t just take things as given.
The people before you weren’t necessarily smarter than you.

03

Carve out enough time for genuine thinking.
In the end, that’s what you are paid for.

04

Continuously refine your own theory.
There is nothing more practical than a good theory.

05

Afford yourself an opinion, while keeping an open mind.
Confrontation can lead to new insights and innovation.

06

Remember - you will never turn shit into gold.
Bullshit in. Bullshit out. Nothing changes that.

07

Learn to spot the difference between brilliant and crazy.
Genius and evil live side-by-side.

08

Learn about the past to build a better future.
People tend to make the same mistakes.

09

Learn to listen and stay silent.
Silence is the most powerful and under-leveraged weapon you have.

10

If there is nothing else left to learn, move on!
There is nothing worse than stagnation.

11

Always think of work as building relationships.
A single job or project won’t take you very far.

12

Set boundaries. Learn to say no.
Only you know what is good for you and how far you can go.

13

Don’t get too stressed.
It’s never as bad as you first thought.

14

Have patience and perseverance.
All good things take time.

15

Don’t let your ego get into the way.
Sleep over it, think it through, then react.

16

Determine what’s important and don’t lose focus of it.
There is always something more urgent.

17

Model the behaviors that you expect from others.
It’s very likely you will be treated the same way.

18

Have determination, work hard, make your own luck.
Success doesn’t just happen.

19

Success is relative. Important is how you define it.
Take your time to think about it, or others will define it for you.

20

How much is enough?
Determining the answer to this question will eventually make you free.

Stay curious, humble, and confident.
Anything is possible.